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Hands-On Homeschool Newsletter - Dec. 23, 2005 Vol. I Issue 3
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In this issue:

> 1. From the Editor's Desk
> 2. Article - New Year's Resolutions for Kids
> 3. Letters to the Editor - "Real" School?
> 4. Feature Article - Home Environment and Parenting as a Predictor of Achievement
> 5. Homeschool Curriculum Ideas of the Week
> 6. Free Homeschool Resources

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1. From the Editor's Desk
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Welcome!

This is a busy time of year! I seem to be a bit behind with nearly all of my projects, including this newsletter (which should have gone out last week). The truth is, it would help if I were a little more organized. In fact, I can think of several things I could do as far as self-improvement; can't we all?

We had a tradition in our homeschool. During the first week of January, we devised New Year's resolutions lists. I found this to be an excellent activity for children as well as adults. See the article below about New Year's resolutions activities to do with your children, and how to motivate them to create realistic goals.

This will be the last Hand-On Homeschooling Newsletter of 2005. See ya next year with more terrific hands-on ideas for your homeschool!

Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a successful and productive new year!

Sandra B.
Editor

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2. Article
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New Year's Resolutions for Kids

By Sandra Bynum

During the first week of January, many of us consider the past year and make a list of goals to work toward for self-improvement during the new year. (Some of us even write them down!)

Did you know that this can be a useful and meaningful activity for children too? During the first week of January, help your children to make their own resolutions (goals) as their first project of the new year.

First, discuss with your children the types of goals that could go on their lists. Present items for your own list as examples, emphasizing not only the goal, but how you planned to achieve it. For example: getting more exercise by walking more vs. driving the car; or taking time out (maybe one half hour) to read for pleasure every day. This encourages the children to consider not only what their goals will be but specifically how they will achieve it. Soon they will have ideas of their own.

"If I started getting up earlier, I could finish school sooner and have more time to play."

"I could try to get along with (sibling) better."

Your children may moan and groan at first. Let's face it, most of us (including children) are not always enthusiastic about listing goals. However, with encouragement and a few
practical ideas from you, your children will usually put a lot of thought into this project, and their lists will grow. Some of their ideas may be surprising and rather ambitious.

"I'm going to finish my whole math workbook by April." Woo hoo!

Some goals may be impractical, so you might point that out, OR you may accept whatever goals your child comes up with and let her discover the impracticality of reaching them on
her own. She may make adjustments on her own later on, or, who knows... she may surprise you and meet those goals!

After discussing New Year's resolutions and doing some verbal brainstorming, encourage your children to create a list, which should include goals and specific ideas as to how they will be achieved.

Encourage consideration of resolutions and goals from a variety of areas of growth. Here are some examples:

1) Academic: Improve grammar skills - correctly complete one grammar worksheet each school day.
2) Communication skills: Creative writing - create one creative writing piece for my portfolio each week.
3) Family: Learn to cook - help mom with at least one meal each day.
4) Personal: Watch less TV - Limit my television viewing to one hour per day.
5) Community: Complete more service projects - contact the Volunteer Bureau about finding one service project to do each month.
6) Church: Participate more - Read each Sunday school lesson on Saturday to better participate in class on Sunday.
7) Reading: Read more and better books - select three classics to read before the summer.
8) Scouting: Achieve rank - Attend all Scout meetings and complete all requirements for my next rank by (date).
9) Responsibility: Be more responsible for taking care of dog - Clean up yard and lawn every day.
10)Financial: Manage money better - Set up a savings account and put in 1/4 of everything I earn; and pay 1/10 tithing.

Once the list has been created, we found that it is important to rewrite it prominently and creatively, and then to post it so that the child's goals will be prominently visible all year round. Your child might want to:

> Type the list using a fancy font (make it large, size 14 or larger), possibly adding appropriate clipart.

> Write out the list with colored felt pen on poster board. Perhaps cut out and glue on magazine pictures as illustrations.

Now, your child should post the list prominently in his or her bedroom where it will be seen first thing in the morning.

Of course, your child will probably do very well with her goals for a while. She may even meet a few of them right away. The trick is to teach our children that behavior changes take time, and can become habits only if we practice them regularly. Then, we won't need to be reminded to do them by reading a list anymore.

I once heard that a habit is formed when one does something 21 times in a row, or for 21 days. A simple rule, I thought, so that's what I told my children (fact or fiction), and
that's what they aimed for. By golly, it worked! For everything from quitting thumb-sucking, making the bed, and working on their learning times tables, it worked!

However, as with most of us, some goals fall by the wayside, and that's okay. After all, self-improvement is never-ending, and besides, there's always next year!

Sandra Bynum home-schooled her five children for over 15 years. You can find many more curriculum ideas just like this one in her e-book, 101 Hands-On, Tried & True
Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You'll Love!

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3. Letters to the Editor
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Question:

My seven-year-old daughter seems to like homeschool, but reminds me regularly that she would rather go to "real" school like her friends. Meanwhile, when her neighborhood
friends come over, I have heard them tell her how lucky she is that she doesn't have to "go to school!" How can I help her to understand that homeschool is "real" school, and that
she is not missing anything by not being with her friends until after school?

Answer:

My oldest daughter was a social butterfly. When we took her out of school at the age of eight, she was not entirely happy. However, she learned very quickly that at home, without the distractions of so many other children at school, she was learning more and finishing her "school day" much sooner, which left more personal time for her. When school let out in the afternoons, the neighborhood kids seemed to head right for our door, and my children had usually more than enough playmates until dinnertime. After a very short time, she decided homeschool was best, and never again desired to go back until she was ready for high school.

Emphasize to your daughter that homeschool is indeed real school, in every sense of the word. Help her to understand that without so many other children around her, she can
complete her lessons much more quickly, ask questions whenever she has them, learn more about subjects that interest her, and have more time to do things that she wants to do.

Provide opportunities for socializing, such as dance or gymnastics lessons, Girl Scouts, community theatre, and get-togethers with other homeschoolers. Meanwhile, encourage her to be selective about her friendships. Help her to see that she will never be pressured to join a school clique, or limited to choosing her friends from an arbitrary grouping of like-aged children. Her selected friends can have similar interests and talents, and can be totally of her own choosing, unaffected by peer-pressure or mean-spiritedness. It won't take long for her to recognize that, as a homeschooler, she has the best of both worlds.

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Editor's note: Do you have a question or a comment about an article or feature in this newsletter, or homeschooling in general? We would love to hear from you! Please email
your comments to: sandrabynum@allthingshomeschool.com

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4. Feature Article
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Home Environment and Parenting as a Predictor of Achievement
by Kelly Nault

Although home environment and parenting definitely influence a child's ability to succeed, the number one predictor of achievement is a child's own internal belief system. Their
beliefs, how they interpret their home environment, and the parenting style they grew up with all help define who they are and who they will become. When it comes down to it, it isn't so important what happens to a child. How a child interprets and responds to what happens to her or him is a more accurate predictor of their ability to succeed in life.

Home Environment: NOT a Predictor of Achievement

Children growing up under the same roof can turn out quite differently in terms of personality and achievements. If home environment and parenting style were the only predictors of achievement, then siblings living under the same roof (having grown up with the same parents in the same environment) would achieve equally well in life. Yet, more often than not, siblings achieve quite different levels of success.

Have you ever wondered why you and your siblings are the opposite of one another in terms of personality, skills and achievements? Perhaps, you may have even wondered if one of your siblings wasn't secretly adopted-even actually tried to convince them of this "fact". The popular habit of calling someone the "black sheep of the family" comes from the simple fact that, in the majority of families, there is at least one member who is more difficult or somehow different from the rest.

The reason children from the same family can be completely different from one another is because of what I call the "Law of Siblings". The closer children are in age, the more likely they will be different from one another (especially when they are of the same sex).

Although there are exceptions, the majority of families are affected by this law.

What Causes Siblings to Differ in Terms of Achievement? One of our greatest needs as human beings is to belong-to find and have our recognized place within a community.

At an early age, many siblings come to the mistaken conclusion that only one person in the family can be the best at any particular skill. Therefore, if one sibling is the best at something, the other(s) will strive to be the best at being the worst. If one is the "academic", the other(s) will be the "athlete" or the "artist".

Effectively Supporting Children's Achievements

In my book When You're About To Go Off The Deep End, Don't Take Your Kids With You, I recommend parents use their home environment and parenting skills to boost the chances of their children achieving both the outer and inner rewards of life. Here are four critical ways to effectively support their achievements:

1. Support Your Children's Passions - Notice what each child likes to do. Be attached to helping them achieve what they love to do, rather than achieving in the areas that are only
important to you. One of my 21-year-old counseling clients had, in her words, been "made" to have good grades in high school because her parents had a dream of her being accepted
into medical school. By third-year university this student was not only failing, but she was also on anti-depressants. When I told her I didn't believe that she really wanted to continue with medical school, she admitted for the first time in her life that she never wanted to be a doctor. She wanted to be a professional photographer-an occupation her parents believed was a waste of her natural intelligence.

2. Encourage Your Children with Unconditional Love - Spend more time using encouraging phases that focus on the "who" each child is, instead of the "what" each child does. A
comment like "I am so proud to have you as my daughter!" is far more encouraging than "I am proud that you got that A in math". Linking your love and praise to what your children achieve can lead them to believe your love is conditional on their performance.

3. Model a Happy, Healthy Adult for Your Children - Parents can go far in helping their children succeed by modeling what it means to have a fulfilling life. Ensure that you experience both external and internal achievements. Internal achievements might include: going after your dreams, having supportive relationships, and enjoying the journey of your life (rather than focusing only on certain destinations).

4. Boost Your Children's Self-esteem with Opportunities to Contribute - Far too many parents are using what I call "hand-out" parenting in which they do and give everything to their children. When a child grows up believing they are the center of the universe, they develop a false sense of confidence that can lead to future disappointments. The best thing a parent can do is to help each child feel worthy by giving them many opportunities to help others (including responsibilities and chores around the house!).

All parents want their children to achieve their full potential. Although many believe that home environment and parenting are predictors of achievement, true achievement ultimately comes from the positive beliefs children have about themselves and the positive interpretations they make about their life. So what are the two best predictors of achievement? How well a parent nurtures their child so they can discover their own passions, and how well they provide
opportunities for their children to contribute their own unique gifts to the community.

About the Author:

Kelly Nault, article@ultimateparenting.com. Learn more about predictor of achievement at http://www.ultimateparent.com/. Kelly Nault, MA author of When You're About To Go Off The Deep End, Don't Take Your Kids With You inspires moms to put themselves first - for the sake of their children. She shares time-tested tools that motivate children to want to be well-behaved, responsible, and happy! Sign up for her free online parenting course at http://www.mommymoments.com/.

© 2005 UltimateParent.com. All rights reserved

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5. Homeschool Curriculum Ideas of the Week
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1) Do any of your children still have someone on their gift list? If they are stumped as far as what to give them, take a look at this week's weblog posting at http://homeschoolinghelper.blogspot.com. You'll find ideas for "gift writing" and specifically for writing poetry as a special gift. Have your child write a poem in celebration of the recipient; a "you" poem. The poem would be written like a letter to this person, and written with a feeling of intimacy. It needn't be long. Here is an example:

Grandma's Window Seat

As I look out my window,
I think about you
and sitting on your window seat
when I was very young.
Sometimes we'd sit together,
looking out the window at the apple trees,
and you'd tell me stories
about when you were a little girl.
Sometimes we'd lift up the lid
of the window seat,
and I would bring out the
Tinker Toys and the Lincoln Logs,
and I would build wonderful things,
just for you.
Someday when I am someone's Grandma
I hope I have a window seat too.

As you can see, a gift poem can be very personal and absolutely does not have to rhyme. The completed poem can be printed neatly on special paper and matted or framed. Be creative! (See our weblog for more presentation ideas.)

2) This is an idea that could be included as a New Year's resolution. Resolve to give the gift of words to someone special on a regular basis. For example, a favorite aunt or grandparent would love to receive a regular letter from your child. They could write a Christmas note such as a merry Christmas wish with a promise to write a letter every week in lieu of a traditional present. It is likely that their gift recipient will be touched by your child's thoughtfulness, and very much look forward to their weekly letters. (Letters could include photos, artwork, creative writing pieces, or anything else that would be personal and interesting.)

3) Are you traveling during this holiday season? Here is a fun game you can play in the car that encourages innovative thinking, creative writing, and lots of laughs, too. The game is called Grab-Bag Stories. To play, you'll need two paper bags, marked "1" and "2." Each player will need a notebook and a felt pen. First write the names of several different types of stories, such as "funny story," "spooky story," "adventure," "mystery," "fantasy," and/or
"sad story." Place these in bag "1." Have each player tear one sheet of paper from their notebooks and cut or tear it into five blank slips of paper. Next, allow ten minutes for players to look out the window and write on each slip of paper one interesting object, person, building, scene, and vehicle that they see. Collect all of these "scenery" slips and place in bag "2."

Now shake the bags, and have each player select one slip from bag "1" and five slips from bag "2." For example, a player may select "spooky story" from bag "1" and "old windmill," "bald man," "parking garage," "pond," and "fire truck" from bag "2." Now he must think up a spooky story using all of his chosen "scenery" items, as must everyone else with their own chosen items. Players have a given amount of time to create and write down their stories, usually ten or fifteen minutes. Now read them aloud. You'll be surprised and often fascinated by the results. Have the children save their stories for possible expansion when they return home.

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Find 75 terrific craft recipes that will keep your kids busy while learning in our new e-book, 75 Craft Recipes For Kids. Find out more at
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6. Free Online Homeschooling Resources
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http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/SchoolsOnline/index.html
Great website includes free interactive science activities for homelearners. Take a walk in the woods, or grow very your first garden. You'll also find life skills activities, such as a guide to the business of babysitting, and activities for character education that can easily be adapted to homeschooling students. University of Illinois Extension, Urban Programs Resource Network

http://www.doverpublications.com/csch031/

Subscribe to receive weekly links to free Dover coloring and activity pages, also samples of Dover children's books, printable and free.

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es
Explore the states the easy way! Your children will learn geography while having fun at the same time. Interactive, with music, stories, and even time travel! From the Library of Congress, "America's Story" project.

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